As I've stated before, airshow flying is risky. So is practicing to fly in an airshow. Thankfully, not all years include the death of a civilian or military pilot practicing for or flying in a show. But sadly, 2018 was not a good year at all, resulting in the deaths of civilian and military performers, and one who flew in the Reno Air Races for more than 40 years.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/air-shows-events/a-sad-year-for-airshows